Review of Onibaba (1964) by Jeffrey F — 03 Dec 2012

There's something about Kei Sato's face that is so unrecognizable in this film. Only when I started doing some research did I realize I'd seen this guy in several other films. In Onibaba he's so sleazy! Perfectly sleazy, and just oozing with unsavory carnality.

For me, he's what makes the film, perhaps it's because he epitomizes the environment that the characters are in, the world they have found themselves in. Kyoto has burned to the ground (though I believe the dates are mixed up a bit), and it's back to nature for everyone.

Many Jidaigeki take place in far more organized, civilized circumstances. There are codes of conduct, and distinct pecking orders. This film, which takes place among the reeds, is an escape from that, and anything goes.